Civilian resources can help find missing persons

Two recent high-profile Ottawa County missing persons cases highlight challenges families face when a loved one disappears. Emmelene Van Dyke, a Holland woman, disappeared after buying a new car in February, and later was found in Roswell, N.M., while Holland native Fred Byrne remains missing after dro...

Emmelene Van Dyke, a Holland woman, disappeared after buying a new car in February, and later was found in Roswell, N.M., while Holland native Fred Byrne remains missing after dropping his son off at Hope College.

In each case, police have been involved. They can put out notices on law enforcement networks and can search using legal tools like warrants — official requests for information — to help track down an individual.

But civilian volunteers can get involved, too, if someone's family member goes missing. These teams can work in groups on foot (nicknamed "ground pounders") or with dogs trained to follow a scent, or through air searches.

Pam Burns, of Sanford, is president of Michigan Search and Rescue, a group that fields 20 to 30 calls for help each year. She said there are two types of volunteer-canine teams — those looking to rescue someone and those helping to recover a body. Dogs that meet height, age, strength and energy requirements undergo training for anywhere from 18 months to two years. Dog handlers learn emergency first aid including CPR and dog first aid, GPS, reading a compass, radio communications, and other skills.

"It is like Lassie finding Timmy — the dog comes back to (the) owner and either jumps or barks to alert the handler to a find, and lead the handler back to the person," she said. Her organization does not charge for searches, and volunteers typically pay their own expenses, though donations are used to help defray costs.

Searches, tailored to the type of person who is missing, typically start at the last place the person was seen and "usually you go out in a 1-mile radius of that last place, but, exponentially, it becomes harder," she said.

And private searchers only go out with police approval. "It's good form to keep in contact with them and let them know what's going on," she said. "In every search you have the potential for it to be a crime scene."

Holland resident Marie Hamilton agreed about the need to keep police involved. She said a stranger called, offering to help search for her son-in-law, Fred Byrne, shortly after he disappeared on Feb. 12. She directed the caller to Big Rapids police detectives, despite feeling desperate about finding Byrne.

"You want to pull out all the stops," Hamilton said. "But better heads need to prevail. We have to coordinate with police. There may be evidence not handled correctly that could be dismissed (in court) later."

Air searches are another tool.

Civil Air Patrol Maj. Tony Gutierrez, commander of West Michigan Group 703, leads five units, including one in Hudsonville. Civilian adult and teen volunteers in CAP (gocivilairpatrol.com), an auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force, study aerospace, leadership and emergency search and rescue, particularly after plane crashes, though they have been deployed for other types of searches. A CAP unit can only be activated by the Air Force, which requires a state police verification.

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Gutierrez, a firefighter, trains members in search-and-rescue techniques.

"Unless someone is trained in proper search techniques of a missing person, the people looking for (the missing) could cause more harm than good," he said, noting missing persons typically leave clues.

Searchers watch for such physical clues such as pieces of clothing or equipment, food wrappers or other trash, broken or disturbed vegetation or other sign of human passage, the sight or smell of smoke or footprints. Even trail registers can offer clues. And searchers should periodically stop and listen for sounds of distress.

It may seem obvious, but Gutierrez said searchers should "look at the ground, in front of you, each side, behind you, up in trees."

Other characteristics of a good search team include clear leadership, good communication, consistent recordkeeping and a plan to support searchers with water, food and relief, because search efforts are physically demanding.